Strategic Solutions Sales Executive – Enterprise Linux -- A&D Strategic Accounts and DOD

Strategic Solutions Sales Executive - Enterprise Linux - A&D Strategic Accounts and DOD 

Location: US, Remote

U.S. Citizen

ABOUT WIND RIVER

Wind River Systems, Inc. (WR) is a global leader in delivering software for mission-critical, intelligent systems. For more than four decades, the company has been an innovator and pioneer, powering billions of systems that require the highest levels of security, safety, and reliability.  Wind River helps customers across automotive, aerospace, defense, industrial, medical, and telecommunications industries solve complex technology challenges on their journey toward the new intelligent machine economy.

The company’s software powers generation after generation of the safest, most secure systems in the world.  Examples include playing a key role in NASA space missions — such as Artemis I, the James Webb Space Telescope, and multiple Mars rovers — and in recent 5G milestones — including the world’s first successful 5G data session with Verizon and in building one of the largest Open RAN networks in the world with Vodafone. Our new product, eLxr Pro, is a Debian-based Linux Kernel designed to compete with Red Hat Enterprise and Edge Linux, SUSE Enterprise/Edge Linux, Oracle Linux, and Canonical Ubuntu Pro/Core.

The company has received industry recognition for its technology innovation and leadership, and for its workplace culture, including global Great Place to Work certification and being named a “Top Workplace” for ten consecutive years. If you want to be part of a unique culture where the lived experience is based on our cultural attributes of growth mindset, customer-focus, and diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging, come join us and help advance the future software-defined world. 

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

Wind River is a leading technology solutions provider with a rich history of serving the U.S. Aerospace & Defense (A&D) market. We are actively seeking an experienced Strategic Solutions Sales Specialist for Enterprise Linux, A&D Strategic Accounts, to lead our Enterprise Linux business growth initiatives. This position will be focused on working with our Tier 1 system integrator customer base, Intelligence Community and Certain DOD branches within our U.S.A&D customer vertical. The chosen candidate will be involved in identifying, influencing, developing, and capturing high-value enterprise Linux and cloud infrastructure opportunities within the sector.

This position will be part of the U.S. A&D Field Sales Organization and report to the Director of Sales for this segment.

Position Overview

Wind River seeks a highly motivated and experienced senior level sales executive to join our elite sales team for our innovative Enterprise and Edge Linux product, eLxr Pro. This role is crucial in driving the adoption of our cutting-edge Linux and cloud solution and positioning Wind River as a leader in the enterprise Linux market, with a particular focus on the Aerospace and Defense sectors. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in enterprise software sales within the Linux and cloud ecosystem and excel at building relationships with key stakeholders in large organizations, especially within the U.S. Aerospace and Defense Tier 1 system integrator customers and the U.S. Department of Defense segments.

Your opportunity is to join as a key member of our A&D Sales team to be responsible for developing new Enterprise Linux business opportunities with our Strategic Account and DOD customers.  This position will interface internally with Strategic Account Managers (AM), Field Application Engineers (FAE), Legal, Contracts, Services Delivery personnel to scope and develop Statements of Work (SOW) / Request for Proposal (RFP) responses. You will also interface with key customer personnel who are driving these programs. In addition to the sales organization, you will be collaborating with and have the support of Product Management, Marketing, Engineering, Solution Architects, and the Wind River Executive team. You should possess strong business acumen, industry segment acumen, knowledge of product development processes and software life cycles, and conversational knowledge of today’s transformative technologies in the embedded space. 

Key Responsibilities

• Sales Strategy and Execution: Develop and execute a comprehensive sales strategy to exceed sales targets for eLxr Pro.
• Market Penetration: Drive market penetration by identifying and prioritizing high-potential customers within this segment, engaging clients, including Fortune 500 companies, DoD Program Executive Offices (PEO) and key industry players, and conducting market research to stay ahead of industry trends and competitor activities.
• Relationship Management: Establish and nurture strong relationships with C-level executives, IT managers, and key decision-makers to drive business growth, acting as a trusted advisor to clients by understanding their needs and providing tailored solutions.
• Product Expertise: Maintain an in-depth understanding of eLxr Pro and its competitive advantages over Red Hat Enterprise/Edge Linux, SUSE Enterprise/Edge Linux, Oracle Enterprise Linux, and Canonical Ubuntu Pro/Core, staying updated on product developments and industry advancements.
• Collaboration: Work closely with the vertical & ecosystems sales, marketing, product, and customer support teams to align strategies and support sales initiatives, providing feedback to product development teams to ensure customer needs are met.
• Negotiation and Closing: Lead high-stakes negotiations and close high-value deals. Ensure customer satisfaction and foster long-term partnerships while developing and presenting compelling proposals and business cases.
• Reporting and Analysis: Provide regular sales forecasts and reports to senior management, including analyzing sales data to inform strategic decisions and tracking key performance indicators to assess sales performance and adjust strategies as needed.
• Aerospace and Defense Market Engagement: Identify and engage with key players in the Aerospace and Defense sectors to drive the adoption of eLxr Pro and our cloud solution, leveraging Wind River's leadership in intelligent systems for these industries.
• Industry-Specific Solutions: Tailor sales strategies and solutions to meet the unique needs and compliance requirements of the Aerospace and Defense sectors, ensuring alignment with industry standards and regulations.
• Strategic Partnerships: Develop strategic partnerships with Aerospace and Defense companies to enhance Wind River's market presence and influence in these sectors.

Qualifications

• Experience: Minimum of 8-12 years of experience in enterprise software sales, with a strong focus on Linux-based solutions. Demonstrated success in meeting or exceeding sales targets in a competitive market.
• Track Record: Proven ability to sell into large enterprises while navigating complex sales cycles, close complex sales deals, manage a high-value sales pipeline, have a track record of meetings, and exceed sales targets in a competitive market.
• Industry Knowledge: In-depth knowledge of the enterprise Linux and cloud market, including key competitors (Red Hat, SUSE, Oracle, Canonical) and industry trends. Familiarity with the Aerospace and Defense sectors and their specific requirements is highly desirable.
• Skills: Exceptional communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills. Ability to articulate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Computer Science, or a related field. An MBA or equivalent advanced degree is a plus.
• Technical Acumen: Strong understanding of Linux operating systems, cloud and edge computing, and enterprise IT environments, with an emphasis on applications in Aerospace and Defense.
• Travel: Willingness to travel as needed to meet with clients and attend industry events, with a flexible approach to work schedules.
• US Citizenship – U.S. Citizenship is required with the ability to obtain and maintain a Security Clearance.

BENEFITS 

• Flexible home office! We offer the flexibility of a hybrid work schedule or 100% remote
• Named Top Workplace for the 8th year in a row
• Wind River’s commitment to DEIB
• 100% Employee covered Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance*
• Flexible Time Off policy* + 12 observed Holidays
• 401K with company match
• Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Wellness Benefits through Unmind

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY 

Wind River is committed to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social, or ethnic origin, age, physical, mental, or sensory disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, HIV status, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status including pregnancy, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.  Wind River will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on these characteristics. 

To learn more, visit Wind River at www.windriver.com. 

APPLICANT PRIVACY NOTICE:                

Your privacy is of the utmost importance to us. At Wind River, we strictly adhere to all applicable data privacy laws. Please review Wind River's Applicant Privacy Notice, which can be found here.                    

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